Christopher Michael Reddy (born 1969) is a senior scientist in the Department of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry[1] of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and faculty member of the MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography/Applied Ocean Science and Engineering.
[46] These residues form the majority of the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) resulting from the breakdown of crude oils which GC had previously been unable to resolve but which Reddy’s novel GCxGC application has made accessible, enabling determination of “the underlying processes controlling petroleum fate” as it degrades in a marine environment.
To be viewed as innovative, the work must show a high degree of creativity and/or be a fundamental departure from usual practice while contributing significantly to understanding in environmental geochemistry.
"[20] Reddy's investigation into an oil spill that had occurred along West Falmouth Harbor, Massachusetts, in 1969 revealed chemical and biological effects that had persisted even after 30 years[47] in fiddler crabs[45] and salt marsh grass.
[48] Similarly, Reddy and the WHOI chemistry team conducted an extensive study of the Bouchard Oil Spill, which occurred in Massachusetts’ Buzzards Bay in 2003, using GCxGC.
[3] Reddy is currently working with UC Santa Barbara researchers to investigate natural oil seepage from the ocean floor off the coast of California.
[3] A colleague, David L. Valentine, distinguished professor of geochemistry and microbiology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, stated, “Chris excels in elucidating the ‘how,’ ‘what,’ ‘why’ and ‘what’s next?’ in engaging, clear and bias-free ways.
"[61] Reddy's efforts extend to influencing the next generation of scientists, and he collaborates on a science communication graduate course taught at WHOI titled "How Not to Write for Peer-Reviewed Journals: Talking to Everyone Else.
"[10] Effective communication of scientific information to nonscientists is even more important during a crisis such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Reddy believes, and has been the subject of talks (e.g., his TEDx talk using clips from the original Star Trek television series[5]) and his book, Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider's Guide.
John E. Riutta, author of The Well-Read Naturalist, describes the book as "a collection of analyses and recommendations for those ... faced with presenting important scientific information to audiences both large and small during times of profound uncertainty" and terms it "very timely" given "the many destructive environmental and medical crises" that have occurred over recent decades.